Bulls Gear Flying Off The Shelves

CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 18: Taj Gibson #22 of the Chicago Bulls reaches for a rebound against Kris Humphries #43 of the New Jersey Nets during the game on February 18, 2012 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

CHICAGO (CBS) — Derrick Rose and the Bulls have ended their season with another slam dunk — at the sporting goods store.

As WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Roberts reports, the NBA says D-Rose sells the most jerseys and Bulls merchandise is moving the fastest at its Fifth Avenue, New York store and on NBAStore.com. It’s even outselling Jeremy Lin and Knicks paraphenalia in New York.

There hasn’t been this kind of interest nationally in the Bulls since the waning days of Michael Jordan’s career in Chicago.

The trend is similar at one Chicago area sporting goods store, Dino’s Sports Fan Shop in Glenview. Owner Dino Leftakis said Bulls merchandise — and especially Rose jerseys — move as fast as he can get them in.

The NBAStore.com says Knicks phenom Jeremy Lin’s jersey is the second most-popular nationally, while Kobe Bryant’s is third. At Dino’s, Leftakis says Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant is the second most-popular and the Clippers’ Blake Griffin is third.

Ben Eimer, 9, was sizing up a Durant jersey when visiting the store with his mother Thursday, but said that’s only because he already has most of the Bulls’ jerseys. His mother said the one he really wants is Joachim Noah’s.

Ask Ben how he thinks the Bulls will do in the playoffs and he says simply, “They’ll win it.

Bob Roberts

Bob Roberts is a native of Wilmette who has worked in Chicago media for all but four years of a career dating back to 1974.
He attended St. Francis Xavier Elementary School and Loyola Academy in Wilmette, before discovering radio while getting his...